An Ode to Ada

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent your Tuesday night tending to your extensive collection of potted plants (yup, standard weeknight fun). This Tuesday though, we all had the opportunity to celebrate the rapid expansion of science and the women that have pioneered in that field.

Indeed, this Tuesday we entered the sixth year of celebrating Ada Lovelace Day – a date dedicated to commemorating the extraordinary achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). If by this point you’re awkwardly scratching your head wondering “Who on earth is Ada Lovelace?”, fear not! I have put my honed research skills to use and am willing to provide you with an answer, but only after I’ve scornfully stared you down and muttered something insulting under my breath.

In an effort to suppress the creative “insanity’’ that she believed characterised Ada’s father, she infused her daughter’s childhood with strong doses of science, logic and mathematics

So who was Ada? Only a woman trying to leave her mark during the male-dominated Victorian era. Oh, and also the first programmer. Originally born Ada Gordon in 1815, she was the only legitimate child of the poet George Gordon Byron, more commonly known as Lord Byron. Soon after Ada’s birth, Lord Byron separated from Ada’s mother, who he’d only married for the money (plot twist!), left Britain, and eventually perished during the Greek War of Independence. The bitterness (who’d have thought that was the key ingredient to raising a genius) of the separation ended up playing a fundamental role in Ada’s upbringing, as mother Anne Isabella Noel, in an effort to suppress the creative “insanity’’ that she believed characterised Ada’s father, infused her daughter’s childhood with strong doses of science, logic and mathematics.

But Ada ended up being so much more than just her heritage. In 1833, she was introduced to internationally acclaimed mathematician Charles Babbage and ended up developing a long-lasting friendship with him. She was captivated by the Analytical Engine he had designed and, in 1844, contributed extensive notes on its nature. Her humbly titled ‘Notes’ (twice as extensive as the original article they were based on) contained algorithms that are now regarded as the first computer programs, as well as contemplations on the true potential of the Analytical Engine, extending to its capability of producing music (yes, she predicted Spotify, kind of).

Despite Babbage being the designer of the Analytical Engine, Ada’s understanding of the machine and its capabilities, far surpassed those of its creator’s. Ada died at the age of 36 only eight years after the publication of her notes, but not before managing to attain notoriety, with scandals including a failed attempt at formulating a mathematical model to ensure gambling success. I told you she was a badass.

Today we celebrate the 13th of October as Ada Lovelace Day, in honour of not only Ada, but all women in STEM who, despite the obstacles they’ve faced, have managed to pierce through the veil of inequality permeating our world and still selflessly dedicate their life to expanding the island of human knowledge.

Female scientists were generally undermined, such as Rosalind Franklin, who was often patronised and called a fool despite her catalytic role in the discovery of the DNA’s double helix structure. Women who sacrificed their lives for their science, such as Irène Curie-Joliot, who like her mother Marie, earned a Nobel Prize in chemistry and paid the ultimate price for her achievements, dying due to exposure to radiation.

These are women who managed to accomplish amazing scientific feats despite facing a discouraging environment deterring them from following science; who refused to conform to the era’s social norms and were smart, imaginative, and innovative whilst doing so; who decided to play with maths, science, technology and engineering.

If you forgot to celebrate the 200 year long fight for equality in STEM representation, worry not, for there’s still time. You can visit the Science Museum every Friday evening for the next three weeks (16th - 30th of October) for a series of events aimed at deconstructing the life of Ada, while having drinks with writers, designers, scientists, mathematicians and musicians. Or, just recognise the contribution of women, not only in STEM but across the social fabric and appreciate the challenges they still face today. Let’s all drink to Ada Lovelace, one of the first, but certainly not last, mothers of science.